"Kevin Durant got afraid to shoot... LeBronesque; Painful to watch" - Skip Bayless compares Kevin Durant's Game 3 meltdown to LeBron James' hesitance to shoot in 4th quarters
Fox Sports analyst Skip Bayless has taken a swipe at Kevin Durant and LeBron James through his latest tweet.
He posted the tweet following Durant's passive fourth-quarter performance in Game 3 of the Brooklyn Nets' first-round series against the Boston Celtics. Durant shot the ball just once in the entire fourth quarter and recorded three assists and two turnovers.
Bayless, who has always lauded the Nets star's aggressiveness in late-game situations, wasn't too impressed with his approach in Saturday's playoff clash.
The 70-year-old broadcaster claimed Durant was "afraid to shoot." He also criticized him for opting to kick out passes to shooters on the perimeter, something that LA Lakers star James has often done.
"In the 4th quarter, Kevin Durant got afraid to shoot, instead looking first to kick out passes for threes. LeBronesque. Painful to watch. And don't get me started on five more turnovers tonight, on top of the 12 he committed in Games 1 and 2," tweeted Bayless.
Kevin Durant finished with 16 points on six of 11 shooting. With the Celtics deploying an aggressive defensive strategy against him, KD was forced to facilitate plays for his teammates. This led him to record eight assists on the night.
Through Games 1 and 2, Durant shot only 13 of 41 from the floor. This may have impacted his decision not to force difficult shots throughout Saturday's Game 3 contest at home.
Kevin Durant this series:
- 23 Points, 37% FG, 6 Turnovers
- 27 Points, 23% FG, 6 Turnovers
- 16 Points, 54% FG, 5 Turnovers https://t.co/bU49aaRzm9
Kevin Durant and Brooklyn Nets staring at a first-round series sweep against the Boston Celtics
Kevin Durant's Brooklyn Nets were one of the most feared teams before the playoffs started.
Durant and Kyrie Irving's offensive prowess was one of the biggest reasons behind it. The star duo also had the experience of winning the NBA championship were heading into the postseason without any injuries.
However, the Nets drew the in-form Boston Celtics as their first-round opponent. The Celtics finished the regular season as the second seed. They were the #1 ranked defensive team as per the NBA's defensive ratings.
Boston also had the #1 net rating since Christmas Eve as they were the second-best offense in the league between now and then.
Jayson Tatum and company have arguably the most well-balanced roster in the NBA right now. They've carried their regular-season momentum into the playoffs in style and have now taken a commanding 3-0 series lead over the star-studded Brooklyn Nets.
"The Celtics have snatched the Nets soul... they done made Kevin Durant quit." -@KendrickPerkins didn't mince words after the Celtics win https://t.co/OJfOZ92Z2r
Durant and the Nets were once again shut down brilliantly by the Celtics' stingy defense, this time at home, losing Game 3 by a 103-109 margin.
Teams that are up 3-0 in a playoff series have a 143-0 record in playoff history. It's looking unlikely that Brooklyn will become the first team to ever come back from that kind of deficit.